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The Genesis of Football

Private school entering first 6-man prep football season

Eric Horchy/SUNCOAST NEWS

The Panthers' David Siver manages a few more steps before being wrestled down by an Academy at the Lakes defender.

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By Eric Horchy | The Suncoast News

Published: August 28, 2008

NEW PORT RICHEY - Upon approaching the newly christened Genesis Preparatory School football field on a Friday evening, much of the familiar sights and sounds generally associated with the high school game-night atmosphere are unmistakably absent.

There's no snare drumming and cymbal crashing to lure people from parking lots and no squeaky-voiced cheerleaders pyramiding up and down the sidelines. No flashing scoreboard is to be seen and nary has a looming Friday night light shone.

Last Friday was Genesis Prep's inaugural lunge into the world of high school football. The small, private school nestled just down the road from Pasco County perennial patsy turned gridiron force Ridgewood High School is now looking to build some tradition of its own.

The introduction of the sport had been on the drawing board for more than two years, said Genesis athletic director Misty Nightingale, and given the school's overall low enrollment numbers, standard 11-man game was impossible.

That is where six-man football has come into play. It was invented during the Depression in Nebraska farm country, where many high schools still have student bodies measured by the dozens, rather than the hundreds or thousands.

For those unfamiliar with the scaled-down version, start by thinking Arena League Football, then take this quote by Panthers Coach Dan Otis for a broader understanding.

"One of the best quotes about six-man football is that it's been described as a full-contact track meet on grass," he said.

For the most part, the game's fundamental guidelines remain the same, but with some tweaking. Aside from fewer players, most notable is the smaller field – 80-yards by 40-yards – on which the wide-open, fast-paced game is played. Adding to its sometimes chaotic nature is that all offensive players are eligible receivers.

Other notable differences include:

15 yards are needed for a first down.

The quarterback may only cross the line of scrimmage after handing off, pitching or throwing the ball, and

Field goals tack on four points, while point after kicks following a touchdown are worth two.

"You have to have speed," Otis said. "And the other big thing is people have to be general because everybody is an eligible receiver."

This basically necessitates everyone being a jack-of-all-trades. Otis said every player on the team runs each position's drills and has at least a general idea of what all are responsible for.

The initial challenges for this emerging Genesis Prep squad are proving to be formidable, Otis mentioned, but not insurmountable. For one, the first year roster consists of only 11 players. The maximum allowed to dress is 20. Also, only two of those 11 have ever played organized youth football before.

With his young men being as green as the grass they play on, Otis said, he is continuing to stress the development of toughness in his players, and for many to shed the initial fears that come with collisions. By doing so, he and Nightingale, alike, are hoping these boys can lay the groundwork of a football culture at Genesis Prep.

"They've all stayed committed to it and been very excited to get going," Nightingale said. "And, of course, we've ingrained into them that they're starting a tradition here, so it's up to them how that tradition is going to begin."

Chapter One officially got under way last Friday night with a home game against another young – though not new – program, Academy at the Lakes, in Land O' Lakes.

After having their first to contests washed out, the teams played through an early and brief, late-day downpour – a sort of baptizing into the mix of six-man football.

At times, they floundered: A missed tackle here, a dropped pass there, and penalty flags all over. Yet at other moments they flourished, displaying signs of a foundation Otis can begin erecting his program.

A small, but vocal crowd of fans gathered along the bleacher-less home sidelines, cheering on their newfound pride's every gain and offering encouragement after every falter.

Following an all-around slow start, Genesis Prep came out early in the second half and managed to tie the affair up at 13-all. Academy at the Lakes' experience and depth seemed to take control while capitalizing on Panther mistakes, eventually outgunning the home team 45-25.

The result was in many ways what Otis had suspected all along. The offense, especially the deep passing game, began to click relatively quickly, evidenced by numerous long connections. The defense on the other hand had trouble cutting off angles and wrapping up on tackles.

"The game favors offense so much because you can exploit the field and defense," Otis said. "The defense has to be so reactive in this game and that is why scores are quite high."

Despite the loss, the coach afterward said he liked the effort he saw from his kids, the game's production and the atmosphere as a whole.

"The fans loved it, it was obvious that the people were stoked," he said. "It's a great thing for our school and our guys that are out there."

Otis knows, though, that eventually just playing hard will not be the only anticipated goal, 'W's' will need to someday arrive as well.

"We try to emphasize that to get a good result in football, it is a stacking up of a whole bunch of simple things," Otis said.

The genesis of the Panthers' nascent journey has past, and it is now time to begin stacking those pieces for Chapter Two and beyond.

Eric Horchy can be reached at 727-815-1071 or ehorchy@suncoastnews.com.

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